Good News for Mets fans...

As if you needed any more of it after taking over first place in the division. I'd like to get a sense of how the Mets fans are feeling right now. Shoot me an email and I'll get your feelings out there.

John Maine made his first start for the Mets since July 28 on Wednesday, tossing five scoreless innings versus the Nationals. The right-hander had been out with a rotator cuff strain, and his ownership in ESPN leagues dropped to about 60 percent during his stint on the disabled list. Maine lowered his ERA to 3.97 in his first game back, allowing one hit and four walks while striking out six.

Maine had shown growth in his first two seasons in the Mets' rotation, but this year, he's struggled a bit more with his control.

Maine's ERA has increased each month this season, and there's really no skills growth evident in his 2008 numbers. At this point, Maine is a younger, left-handed version of Ted Lilly: a No. 3 starter with a solid strikeout rate, spotty control and occasional home run trouble. Maine is reliable now and, at age 27, still has considerable upside, but ESPN readers are on the money -- he's not yet an every-down back in mixed leagues.